Aluminium door system breaks new ground

The Alumina range comprises bi-folding, French, and residential door options, and has been crafted to make seamless coordination of aluminium and PVC-U products into a wider project much easier.

With a background in design, development and fabrication, Secondary Operations Director Daryl Fradley explains how the Alumina system simplifies achieving consistent results when working with aluminium alongside other materials.

Foiled Finish, Unified Appearance

Daryl explains: “Alumina is ideal for larger openings due to its strength and can handle sashes up to 1.2m wide by 2.5m high, with door sets up to 8.5m wide available for supply in flat pack format. Many customers are looking to open up entire walls with either bi-folding or French doors, and need a solution that fully complements the project’s other windows, doors and roofline regardless of their material. 

“As Liniar foils the aluminium profile used for Alumina at the same state-of-the-art onsite lamination facility as its complete range of PVC-U windows, doors and roofs and sundry products you get a perfect colour-match. 

“There are many woodgrain options available, so Alumina can complement traditional timber too. And Alumina doors offer a sleek, flush finish, making them the perfect complement to Liniar’s PVC-U flush sash window ranges. When combined, a similar look to traditional timber can be achieved, but with all the low-maintenance and thermal benefits of the Liniar range. 

“What’s more, we can deliver bespoke colour combinations across Liniar’s Alumina and PVC-U ranges, allowing installers to offer customers highly personalised products. Foiled aluminium also provides a ‘warm touch’ finish which drastically reduces the cold, metallic feeling users often find off-putting about aluminium doors. And whilst foiled aluminium does present various advantages, Alumina is also available in White, Black and Grey plain powder coated finishes.

“Besides the colour-matched options, all the detail on Alumina is exactly the same as Liniar’s PVC-U sculptured windows and door system too, so a building fully fitted with Liniar windows could have matching large-scale aluminium doors.”

Simple ordering, efficient installation

Daryl continues: “Alumina can either be supplied in bar length profiles, or ready-made kits comprising the full door minus glass, ready to go straight into the aperture. 

“We provide the glazing unit sizes, enabling installers to use their local supplier. There’s a flexible bead option available, which requires no wedge gasket and takes a third of the time to fit compared with traditional aluminium beads, while also significantly reducing the risk of scratching or damaging the frame during installation. 

“All this simplifies ordering, reduces labour costs and makes for quick convenient installation.”

Concealed ventilation, highly secure

Changes to Part F of the Building Regulations came into effect in mid-2022 making the provision of adequate ventilation stricter and, in many cases, forcing the use of unsightly trickle vents on windows and doors. 

Daryl explains: “With the Alumina system, externally concealed ventilation can be accomplished using an innovative 40mm add-on. This makes compliance with Building Regulations easily achievable, without spoiling the doors’ sleek appearance with trickle vents visible from the outside.

“Alumina also offers high levels of security, having been tested to PAS24 and receiving Secured by Design accreditation. The Alumina bi-fold also beats the minimum requirements for both air and water tightness by more than double – even with a low threshold.”

Daryl concludes: “Liniar has designed and developed an extremely attractive, versatile aluminium system that is well suited to both residential and commercial projects. As part of the team responsible for fabricating Alumina kits, I can honestly say we take great pride in ensuring every door leaving the factory is finished to exacting standards.”

www.alumina.liniar.co.uk